Former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who met Chief Minister Kamal Nath at the CM House in Bhopal on Tuesday evening, said no political discussion took place between the two and the focus was on relief and rehabilitation of the flood-hit people of Madhya Pradesh.
The two leaders held closed-door meeting for about 35 minutes though Scindia had been accompanied by two ministers, three MLAs and a Congress spokesman for his visit to the CM House. This was Nath and Scindia's first meeting in two months.
The meeting came amid the persisting uncertainty over the appointment of MP Congress Committee (MPCC) president. Scindia's supporters had put up an aggressive stance recently on the issue, threatening resignations and agitation if he was not made the PCC chief.
Despite earlier hint that the new PCC chief might be appointed by August end, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi deferred the matter. It still hangs fire.
On July 11, the two leaders had met over a lunch and dinner for the first time after Scindia's defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. Even then, there had been reports of internal tiff in the party and the meeting sought to quell the rumours.
Though Scindia asserted before media after the meeting on Tuesday that the agenda of the meeting was non-political, sources said that discussions were held on the contentious issue of appointment of new MPCC chief. The issue of Congress workers, MLAs and even some ministers of Scindia camp being ignored by other ministers and bureaucrats also came up for discussion.
Scindia has been lately quite vocal about the internal issues, telling the party workers that he will take up their concerns with the CM. Also, he had openly said that the CM should listen to the points made by forest minister Umang Singhar after the latter's public attack on ex-chief minister Digvijaya Singh.
This, along with Scindia's supporters' aggressive stance on the PCC chief issue, became so controversial that even Sonia Gandhi had to step in, asking party members not to make public statements on contentious issues. The party high command had also directed the workers to refrain from putting up posters in support of or against any leader.
'No politics discussed'
After Tuesday's meeting, Scindia told media persons that he had been touring the state and had put forth the ground realities on flood situation before the CM. Scindia also put two demands before the chief minister – one that crop and other damage survey should be conducted afresh after the rain stopped so that proper estimates could be made and farmers would get adequate compensation, and the second that the state government should negotiate with the insurance companies to ensure quick and adequate crop insurance payments. “The chief minister agreed to both demands and assured to do his best,” Scindia said.
On the issue of PCC chief, Scindia again asserted that the issue was in purview of the Congress chief and her decision would be acceptable to all. On the question of Sardar Sarovar Dam being filled up to full capacity and it causing submergence of many families in MP, Scindia said that the MP government had put up its side strongly before the central government and he was sure that Kamal Nath would not compromise with welfare of MP people.
Scindia was accompanied to the CM House by revenue minister Govind Rajput, labour minister Mahendra Sisodia, party spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi and MLAs Brijendra Sisodia (Mungaoli), Jajpal Singh Jajji (Ashok Nagar) and Gopal Singh (Chanderi).
